Comfort of Home
by TheNovelArtist
Summary: Marinette had gotten used to random thunks on her balcony, caused by a certain superhero she'd slowly warmed up to. But she didn't expect to see him unmoving, face-down on her balcony.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Posted this on my tumblr a while ago after being inspired by an incredible gif by Australet789. Thought I should share it here.

* * *

Marinette had gotten used to random _thunks_ on her balcony. It wasn't normal by any means, especially knowing it was always a certain superhero to cause such a ruckus, but nevertheless, she would always go up to greet him.

Lazily, she tossed the trapdoor open, fully intending to harass him by stating how she had her lights out and was getting an early night's sleep. But that flew out the window when she saw him face down on her balcony.

"Chat?" She jumped up to the balcony and rushed to his side. "Chat!"

He groaned when she touched his shoulder, his eye barely cracking open to see her. "Princess?"

Her heart plummeted. "Chat, what happened? What's wrong?"

He took a deep breath then forced himself up on shaking limbs. "I have to find Ladybug."

 _She's right here._ It was right on her tongue, but even after four years, her belief that identities must remain a secret was so deeply ingrained into her mind that she couldn't say it even if she wanted to. "Why?" she asked instead. "What happened?"

Somehow, he managed to stand, though it was clear by the cloudiness in his eyes and the way his whole body was shaking that he wasn't going to be standing much longer. "Ladybug," he grunted. "I need her."

Marinette stepped up to his side—good gracious, when had he gotten so tall?—and slung his arm over her shoulder. "Chat, you're hurt."

"I need Ladybug."

"Why?" Marinette repeated, grabbing tighter onto the swaying superhero. "What is so important that you have to neglect the fact you can't even _stand._ "

He took a few shaky breaths while his knees quivered as though they would give out any second. "I found Hawkmoth."

It took only a second for his words to sink in and several more for everything to click in his mind. "You fought with him."

"And I'm on the run," Chat added. "He's liable to find me any minute. I need Ladybug. Now."

Marinette forced her jaw to move. "No. What you need right now is to rest."

"Princess," he whined. "I can't stay. I can't put you in danger."

"Well, you should have thought of that before crash landing on my balcony," she countered. Gently, she shoved his weight over, forcing him to take a step towards her hatch. Considering he nearly fell over in the process, Marinette was determined not to let him go anywhere but her bed.

"I'm a knight," he said, trying now to escape her hold, but he was too weak to succeed. "Knights don't let harm come to their princess. I can't stay."

"Well, I'm a twenty-first century princess, thank you very much," Marinette retorted, forcing him to take another step towards the hatch. "I'm not some damsel in distress. Now, are you going to go down that hatch willingly, or am I going to have to shove your weak, shaking body over and drag you there?"

He looked at her, his pupils shifting in size as he blinked several times. Her stomach twisted in knots as she looked into his hollow, cloudy eyes that couldn't even focus in on her face. "Please, don't fight me, Chat," she said, her voice now soft with concern. "I don't care about anything other than the fact you're badly hurt. Please, let me help you."

He stared at her a few seconds longer then allowed his eyes to drift shut. "Okay," he whispered.

She sighed in relief. Together, they stepped over to the hatch. Then, somehow, they managed to get Chat to her bed, where he immediately collapsed, his eyes shutting and his chest heaving as he took one labored breath after another.

It was like her heart was slowly being crushed. Squeezed and constricted at the sight of her partner, her best friend, in such pain. _Fix him,_ her mind chanted over and over like a haunting melody. _Fix him._

She knelt down beside him, mindful not to shake the bed. "What hurts?" Marinette asked, examining his body for injuries.

"Everything."

"Everything," she repeated, her eyes falling to his chest. Specifically, the tears in his suit that stretched over his chest. She reached for his bell. "Chat," she asked. "Do you trust me?"

She knew he was serious when he didn't make any sort of suggestive comment. "Yeah."

Marinette pulled the bell down to his belly button, unzipping the suit to reveal his chest. Carefully, she peeled the leather away from his skin so she could get a good look at the wound. Even in the pale moonlight, she could see the gashes that littered his torso and shoulders. Her breath hitched at the sight.

"Bad?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"I think it's going to need stitches," she said.

His eyes shut tightly in dread. "Do what you have to."

It was like a knife in her gut to see him so resigned, so helpless. She hated the fact he was so beaten and battered. Before she could leave to find her first aid kit, she grabbed her pillow, fluffing it a few times before carefully positioning it under Chat's head.

His eyes cracked open when she lifted his head up and stuck the pillow underneath.

"Comfortable?" she asked.

"As I'll ever be, Princess," he said without a smile.

That knife twisted, but instead of her gut, she felt the pain in her heart. "Let me go get my supplies. I'll be right back."

His eyes drifted shut again, and Marinette hurried out of her bed.

After smacking the light switch, illuminating the room, she tore apart her bathroom in search for her first aid kit, the one she had assembled herself with everything necessary to patch herself up as Ladybug. She washed her hands before grabbing a hopelessly stained washcloth and wetting it. With supplies in hand, she scrambled back to her bed.

First thing she did was take the washcloth and gently patted his chest clean. Despite biting his tongue and clenching his jaw, a hiss still escaped him.

"Sorry," she said, hating that her attempt at healing him was only going to cause more pain.

"Don't be," he said, his breathing coming heavily once again. "Just hurry, please."

This was by far the worst thing she's done since becoming Ladybug. Even cleaning up the cuts and bruises that she received was better than watching her partner flinch in discomfort as he lay bleeding on her bed. "What happened?" she asked, thinking maybe it would serve as a distraction for both of them.

He took a few heavy breaths. "Hawkmoth…" he started, "I found him, and he found me."

Marinette froze, needle in hand. "What?"

He looked at her, the pain increasing in his eyes. "Princess, please just finish."

That was when she noticed his hands shaking. Looking back at his chest, she saw his breaths come in faster pants. The adrenaline was wearing off, meaning the pain was kicking in, reality was slamming back full force into his mind, and his body was crashing. He was calm right now, but who knew what sort of mess he would dissolve into once adrenaline wasn't coursing through his veins in huge doses.

Her mind kicked her body into high gear. _Pretend he's a shirt_ she said to herself. _Stitch the seam together. Just like fabric. Just like fabric._

Except fabric didn't hiss and writhe and whimper in pain. She made it half way by the time the tears that filled her vision broke free and rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she repeated over and over. "I'm sorry."

"Just finish," he growled through gritted teeth. "Just finish."

Finish she did, but not without both of them ending up in tears. Chat's breathing was heavy and fast, his claws tangled in the sheets and his head pushed back into the pillow as he mentally begged the pain to go away.

"I'm sorry," Marinette choked out, her own hands shaking as she put the needle as far out of her sight as possible. "I'm so sorry."

Eventually, Chat's eyes cracked open, gaze landing on her. He forced one of his hands to release the sheets and grab her knee instead. "Don't be," he said, huffing all the while. "Don't be."

She sniffed, wiping away the tear trails with the back of her bloody hand. She took a few deep breaths herself, trying to steady herself before realizing, "Bandages. I need to wrap that."

Before Chat could say a word, Marinette was out of bed and back into her bathroom. Using her elbows, she turned on the faucet then watched as the red on her hands melted away and tainted the sink instead. Shaking all the while, she held her hands under the stream of water until it carried away all traces of red. Only then could she reach for the soap.

By the time she made her way back to Chat, his breathing had evened out, and despite drooping in exhaustion, his eyes remained open.

"Can you sit up for me?" Marinette asked, her voice embarrassingly weak.

"Help," was all he said.

Marinette bent down, wrapping her arms around his back and pulling him up into a sitting position that they both knew he wasn't going to last long in. She grabbed a couple large gauze pads, unfolding them then stacking them together to create a layer to cover his stitches. "Can you hold this?" she asked, pressing it gently against his chest.

Taking one shaking hand, he held the gauze over his chest as best her could.

Marinette wasted no time in pulling down the back of his suit and began wrapping bandages around his torso as well as the other cuts littering his body. Those cuts, while bleeding a lot, didn't need stitches, which was good considering Marinette doubted she'd be able to touch a needle for a while.

By the time she was done, Chat was shaking violently. She wrapped her arms around him, scared he was going to pass out if he didn't lay down again. Carefully, she lay him back down on the bed, taking a little extra time to situate his head on her pillow.

After a long minute of quiet, Chat reached behind his back and pulled out his baton. He forced his eyes open as he held out the shaking baton to Marinette. "Listen to me," he said, his eyes drooping heavily in exhaustion. "I need you to take this," he began, pausing to take a hard breath after another. "And call Ladybug… I need you to tell her I found Hawkmoth…"

Marinette took the baton so Chat could lay his shaking hand back down. He was grasping at the last ounces of consciousness that remained after an adrenaline crash, and she couldn't watch him exert himself over something as simple as holding his baton out to her.

Even after she set his hand down on the bed, he didn't let go of her hand. His grasp was weak, but Marinette knew he was trying his best to cling to her. "Please."

"I'll tell her," Marinette said, somehow managing to keep herself together and not blurt out her identity then and there. "I'll tell her you're here."

Thankfulness warbled across his exhausted expression.

"But not this second." She put the baton carefully behind her and grabbed the duvet cover.

"Princess," Chat whined.

"I'll tell her soon enough. I promise." She pulled the blanket up over him before fluffing the pillow under his head. "Comfy?" she asked.

He sighed, and she watched him sink into the sheets. "Mostly."

Marinette frowned. Pulling the covers over her, she settled down next to him. She managed to lift his head, curling her arm under it and began to scratch at his ear in that way she knew he liked so much.

He let his eyes drift shut, the pleasure and exhaustion proving to be too much to handle.

"Sleep," Marinette whispered.

He couldn't even open his eyes. "Promise to contact Ladybug?"

She put her hand over his heart, somehow sparking a low purr from him. "Trust me." _She knows._

With that he settled his head down, his neck comfortably draped over her arm and head resting in the pillow. "I do."

Marinette never stopped playing with his hair, toying with his leather ears until his breathing deepened into a slow and steady rhythm.

The lights suddenly clicked off, and Marinette blinked a few times in surprise. When Tikki appeared in her sight, Marinette relaxed.

"He knows Hawkmoth's identity?" Tikki asked.

Marinette sighed. "Apparently. And Hawkmoth knows his." She could feel the edge of exhaustion come over her, but it wasn't a surprise considering that she felt as though her heart had gone through the wringer. "And it must have been an awful battle if Chat looks like this." She turned her gaze down to her partner, and her heart fell to pieces. "Why didn't you call me?" she asked, knowing she wouldn't get an answer. "Why didn't you call for me?"

Before she knew it, tears were pouring down her face. "I could have been there, you stupid cat," she choked out, her voice whispery. "I could have helped you."

He didn't move. He didn't flinch. He laid there, his only movement the rising and falling of his chest with each breath.

"Don't you know I care for you, kitty?" she continued. She shut her eyes, leaning forward until her nose was pressed against his cheek.

Skin on skin, so close and personal, Marinette was able to calm herself. She swore to herself Ladybug would appear for him in the morning and together they would work this out. They were a team. Partners. Best friends. They were each other's strengths and weaknesses.

They were each other's truest loves.

No matter how badly Marinette wished she could deny that fact, she couldn't. Not with how badly her heart was battered and bruised at the sight of him so hurt. Every little fluttery feeling and heart break he gave her further solidified that fact. Somehow, in between the battles and under the guise of masks, she'd fallen for her partner. Life without him… it just wouldn't be the same.

And that scared her. Especially with the final battle looming in their future and Chat being so injured now.

Marinette eventually managed to get ahold of herself and stop crying. He would be okay. He had to be. When she opened her eyes again, all she could see was the blurry image of Chat so close. She continued to scratch his head and swore she could feel the heartbeat that drummed under her hand. "We'll make it through this, Chat," she whispered before allowing her eyes to fall closed. "No matter what. I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: The next chapter of _Second Chances_ will likely be another week. Life's been a bit rough lately, meaning writing has kinda taken a back seat, but I also found a beta reader for it, meaning they need tome to edit and get back to me. In the meantime, here's chapter 2 of this little story.

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The light of dawn shone through the windows, pinks quickly fading by now to allow bright, clear light to strike a certain superheroine's costume. Marinette had woken surprisingly early considering that a tattered superhero had crash landed on her balcony last night. Realizing he was still asleep and assuming he'd be out for a while, she went downstairs to grab breakfast and boil some water for tea. She then slipped down into the bakery to grab a handful of different pastries for Chat to wake up to before returning to the kitchen to finish making herself some tea. Then, she found a travel mug with a closeable lid that she filled with water to take up for Chat.

Before she returned to her room, she called for her transformation, determined to wait for him as Ladybug.

She opened the hatch, and a groan came from her bed. "Mari?"

Immediately, Ladybug set the drinks and pastries on the desk before scrambling up to her bed. "Chat. It's me."

He stared at her for a moment, his eyes unfocused and half-lidded. "Bug?" His voice was hoarse, but he was awake and somewhat lucid.

She took his hand in hers and sighed in relief. "You had me worried, Chaton," she said, rubbing circles with her thumb on his hand. "I didn't know what to think when I saw you."

He tried to give her his signature self-confident smirk, but it came out faded with exhaustion. "Marinette patched this cat up _pur r_ fectly. You don't have to worry about me, bugaboo."

She smiled sweetly. "Trust me, I still do." Her smile quickly faded. "Are you in pain? Do you need anything?"

His smile vanished, too. "It's sore, but I'm fine."

"Chat," she warned.

"Really."

"What do you need?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

Despite his clear exhaustion, there was still a firmness in his gaze that told her he wasn't going to budge on the subject. "Then do you want some water? Maybe a pastry? Or are you not hungry."

Chat shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

Chat frowned. "I've bothered Marinette enough as is. I don't want to bother her for anything more."

"Considering she already put a plate together for you, it clearly wasn't a bother."

Chat paused, his brow knitting together.

Ladybug pat his hand before setting it down on the bed and giving him a 'just a moment' hand-motion. She hopped down from her bed and grabbed the tray of pastries and thermos of water before returning.

He had taken that time to attempt to prop himself up, but the grimace he wore belayed his pain.

She gave him a pitying look. "Let me help you."

The most he gave was one very weak protest as Ladybug propped him against the pillows and plushies. By the time he was settled, he was breathing deeply in pain.

Despite what he said, Ladybug couldn't stand it. She hopped off the bed once again and quickly went into her bathroom to raid her medicine cabinet before returning with a handful of bottles.

"Eat a little something?" she coaxed, pushing the plate closed and shoving the thermos of water into his hands. "It's not good to take these on an empty stomach."

He frowned down at the medication bottles she dumped on the bed. "I don't need medication. I'm fine."

She leveled him with a glare. "Aspirin, Ibuprofen, or Aleve? None isn't an option."

He studied her. "You aren't going to let it go."

"Not when you're clearly in pain."

A pause stretched between them, Chat staring at her until her expression softened. "Please, don't fight me."

He relented with a sigh. "Aleve."

She opened the bottle to hand him a pill before returning the medicine back to the bathroom cabinet. When she returned, Chat had already taken the medicine and was picking at a plain croissant on the plate. He took a small bite, and Ladybug inwardly cheered.

But that was all he had before he leaned back and let his eyes drift shut. Ladybug moved the plate away before situating herself at his side. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Chaton?"

He grunted. "No. I'm just tired."

"Then rest."

He forced his eyes open to look down at her. "I can't stay here."

"Why not?"

"I can't put Marinette at risk any more than I have."

"You're hidden away. How is this a risk?"

Chat grimaced. "Hawkmoth… he knows me. He knows who I am. Knows where I might go. And this place is a risk."

Ladybug frowned. "How is this place more of a risk than anywhere else?"

Pain that wasn't the physical kind flashed across his face once again. "Bug," he began in a tone she didn't like. "I have to tell you who I am."

For years, they'd managed to keep their identities a secret from each other. Chat may have argued, demanded, begged to know who she was, desperate to learn who his partner was under the mask, but he'd never stated it as fact. Never looked at her with his eyes so dim as they are now. Yet, she knew those eyes, knew how to read them, knew what emotions he held.

And right now, underneath all the exhaustion was determination. Determination to not let her object.

"Okay."

Shock lit his eyes a moment. "You're not gonna fight me?"

She shook her head. "Not this time, Chat." She reached for his hand, grabbing it to hold tightly yet never removing her eyes from his. "I trust your call on this occasion."

"Hawkmoth is my father," he said in way of explanation. "And that's why you need to know."

"I know."

It slipped from her mouth so quickly she didn't have the chance to process that Chat hadn't told her that.

He'd told Marinette.

His brow furrowed. "You know?"

Well, here she went. No turning back now. "You told me."

He seemed like he was about to object, yet he didn't, almost as though he was second guessing himself.

"Spots off," she whispered, feeling the magic disappear from around her. She watched as realization dawned over Chat, his eyes widening and mouth slowly falling open.

"You told me, Chaton," she repeated with a soft smile.

Slowly, his eyes grew glassy. Then, in the blink of an eye, those tears spilled over and a warbly smile took over his weary one. His grip on her hand tightened as he used all his strength to yank her forward. She twisted to avoid slamming into his chest, colliding with the pillows and plushies instead. However, from the way he cradled her head and nestled her forehead against his own, he probably wouldn't have cared.

"Marinette," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. Happiness if the way he tightened his hold on her and pressed his forehead harder against hers was any indication. "Oh, Marinette."

She smiled, reaching up to cradle his cheeks.

"You're so miraculous."

Those words, spoken so tenderly and reverently, struck her so unexpectedly hard in her heart.

"I mean it," he spoke before she could say a word. "I mean it."

She knew he did. She also knew he didn't mean Ladybug.

He meant _her._

She tilted her head forward to bop their noses together, shaking her head to give him eskimo kisses. She could practically feel him light up with such attention. "Tell me who my precious Chaton is."

"Gladly, Princess. Claws in."

A flash of green filled the room, then dulled out just as quick as it came, revealing one _purr_ fectly handsome young man.

She just didn't expect Adrien Agreste.

"Adrien," she realized, her heart now fluttering wildly around inside her chest as she soaked in this information. A beaming smile stretched across her lips as her eyes now dazzled with joy. Her partner was Adrien Agreste. Adrien Agreste was her partner.

Her smile faded.

Hawkmoth was his father.

Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth.

"Minou," she cooed, wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, Adrien, I'm so sorry."

It took a moment for him to process what exactly she was talking about. Why exactly she was apologizing. But the moment it clicked, he was pushing himself away form her.

"I can't stay here," he said.

"What?"

He slipped from her slacked grasp, showing her his newly pale skin and horror in his eyes. "I can't stay here, bug. I can't."

She grabbed hold of his clothes as he tried to pull away. "What are you talking about?"

"He's going to look for me," Adrien said, turning a newly fierce gaze on her. "He's going to call everyone he knows I know. He's going to ask if they've seen me. I can't let him find me here."

She frowned. "You're not going anywhere. You're staying right here."

"I won't take that risk."

"And I'm not letting you go." Marinette yanked him down, not caring that he yelped in pain. She was going to force him to stay.

"Bug," he argued, even though his labored breathing belayed just how bad his pain was. "I can't take the risk of him realizing your identity. If he finds me here with you, he's going to think—"

"Fine," she firmly interrupted. "Let him. Let him learn who I am. I'm standing by your side, and that is final."

A tense silence slipped between them as the stare down dragged on until Adrien's expression softened. "Princess," he said, taking her hand in his. "Please. Let me go."

"Why?" she asked, her own voice soft as she squeezed his hand.

"Because I finally found you," he said. "And what was once the most incredible partner in the world and the sweetest friend I could have asked for is now the most precious thing in my life. I'm not going to take the risk of my father finding you."

She stayed still a moment longer, staring down at him before laying down at his side. "No," she said, settling against his shoulder and snuggling up to him. "Because what was once the best partner I could have asked for and the talented young man I had a crush on is now the most precious thing in _my_ life. I'm not letting you go. And if you think you're going to win against me, remember who's injured and who's not."

Adrien stared at her a long moment. "You had a crush on me?"

"On Adrien?" Marinette clarified. "Yeah. And not because you're a model."

"I never would have thought that," he quickly said. "You're not that kind of girl."

His words caught her off-guard, and it took several seconds to recover. Still, the blush never left her cheeks. "My point still stands," she said. "I don't care if your father learns who I am. I am your partner. That means I will stand by you to protect you and care for you. I'm not going to let you leave."

His eyes drifted closed.

"Please, don't fight me."

When they reopened, when green met blue and held it for the longest time, Adrien finally relented. "The only reason I'm staying is cause I can't fight you."

"You really don't want to stay?" she said, partly teasing, partly curious.

"Every superhero knows you don't lead the supervillain to your home. You stay as far away as you can to protect it."

As the words struck her one by one, her heart went started up a wild rhythm in her chest. Heat flooded her cheeks and warm filled her stomach. Because the way he was looking at her, she clearly understood his implication.

"But there are times you have to protect your home," she countered, her voice a bit breathless. "Especially when it's compromised." With that, she propped herself up on her elbows, her face now hovering over Adrien's. "You're as much my home as I am yours. It's my turn to protect you. If he learns who I am, then so be it. We know who he is. He's compromised far more than us."

A new wave of exhaustion slowly took him over, hitting his eyes first, dulling the color and draining the life out of them.

"Stay and recover, Chaton," she said, cradling his jaw tenderly. "I got you."

With a weary grin, he reached up to cradle her nape, pulling her head closer in order to leave a lingering kiss on her forehead. "Okay. You win."

She started up the eskimo kisses again, relishing the way he radiated joy at the motion. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized this was how addictions start. But so what. This was her partner, whom she loved and treasured and who cherished her in return. If something so simple could bring a smile—a real, beautiful, bright smile that the world was rarely allowed to see on the model—to his face, then she would pour such affection out on him. "Get some rest, minou."

"Stay."

She couldn't imagine leaving. "Are you comfortable?" she asked, fluffing his pillow before he could even answer.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her down and against his side. "Now I am."

Giggling, she wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing her to scratch his head in the way he adored so much.

His smile grew as he leaned into her touch. "I love when you do that."

"You're such a cat," she whispered.

"Your cat?" he asked, hope filling his voice. Hope that he was more than just her partner.

She shifted, guiding his head towards her so as to press a long, lingering kiss to his temple. " _My_ kitty."

She swore he started purring. At the very least, he was beaming under her attentions. As she settled back against his side, his arm tightening his grip around her waist and nose now pressed into her hair, she knew they would have much to talk about later. Their partnership had changed in ways neither one of them were fully able to comprehend at that moment.

But, as Marinette's eyes drifted closed, lulled by Adrien's steady breathing and the slow motions she was swirling in his hair, she knew there would be a time for that. And that wasn't now. Wasn't for a while. Because they still had one last enemy to defeat, and she knew that taking him down would change everything.


End file.
